Four-piece alternative-rock outfit Cape May offers dreamy ballads, trippy psychedelia, and hard-driving rock with a Mazzy Star brand of submerged appeal. The band rages through the first half of the disc, paying homage to indie and punked-out emo along the way. The fourth cut, "Niagara Falls," is the album's highlight. The song captures something akin to the kind of coming-of-age sentiment found in the Who's "Baba O'Riley."

Ethereal guitar work is the most striking aspect of Cape May's sound. Electric guitars usher in a sense of surrender as each cut flows into the next. The influences of the Doors, the Clash, and the Beatles can be heard throughout. Occasionally the band veers off course, falling victim to aimless bass lines. The melody lines of lengthier cuts such as "Ticking Clock" and "The Wind Blows" also become convoluted. Still, the production quality of each track is flawless, and there is a good balance of ballads and rockers.

Hypnotic vocals from frontman Andre Goyenechea are half-sung, half-spoken phrases that provide another facet to the sound. Pink Floyd-inspired guitar fills add needed complexity in the disc's final songs. Cape May's use of layered musical textures make for a memorable debut.